Tucker Carlson Attacks Freedom From Religion Foundation For Demanding Adherence To First Amendment

When it comes to promoting Christianity, proud Christian gay basher, Tucker Carlson isn’texactly a shrinking violet. So, it’s a tad ironic that Carlson would, while using his Fox bully pulpit, accuse his atheist guest of being “a bully who runs a highly aggressive interest group.” Why? Because that guest thinks religion should not be taught in public schools.

On May 25, Carlson interviewed Dan Barker, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, about a Tennessee public school which shut down its before-school, teacher-led Bible study after the FFRF intervened. Carlson incorporated some favorite Fox memes: The Freedom From Religion Foundation is abunchof godless atheists who spoil everything for God-fearing Christians and, natch, Christians are persecuted.

Carlson started the segment by claiming this elementary school has been “forced to shut down” its voluntary Bible study by the evil Freedom From Religion Foundation which (appropriately) had concerns that this class, led by teachers, was basically religious instruction. Carlson did not mention that students were pressured to attend.

Carlson immediately began his attempt at bullying: “So, you shut down a club for first graders studying the Bible. You feel good about that?”

Barker deftly parried the hit with his response: “Yes, we do.” He explained that the school shut down the program after having received a letter from the FFRF foundation and asserted that the school “did the right thing.”

Carlson advanced the atheists-are-bad-bullies narrative: “You bullied them into it.” He asked Barker to cite the Constitutional problem and added, “School district employees have a right to express their views.”

Barker responded that parents want to protect children from “the depravity and the violence” in the Bible and they don’t want the school to be taking sides in religious matters.

Carlson argued that there is no issue because the Bible study did not take place during school hours and that the “right to express their religious views. That's enshrined in the First Amendment.”

Barker retorted that this is an “establishment of religion” case because the Bible study was being conducted by school employees on school property. He mentioned that court decisions have ruled against schools in similar cases.

When Barker called this a “lesson,” Carlson, an employee of the media mouthpiece for the GOP, interjected that the lesson is that, “Aggressive interest groups with lawyers can force you to do what they want you to and...that’s how America now runs, thanks to people like you.” (Uh, no Tucker, thanks to the Constitution.)

Disregarding the fact that atheism is not a religion, Carlson asked how Barker would have felt if the sessions were about atheism.

Barker told him to blame the Supreme Court because these issues have been decided.

Barker adeptly and calmly responded that Christian parents would certainly object if atheist teachers, at a Bible club, taught children the horrors of the “brutal, alpha God.” (One suspects that Carlson would be livid if a school provided off-hour Koran study.)

After Carlson scolded Barker for “slagging” his views on the show, he accused him of being a “bully who runs a highly aggressive interest group.” He asked how feminist and atheists groups are different from a Bible group. His agitation was apparent when he yammered about religious rights and how Barker’s group is preventing people from exercising them.

Carlson looked (characteristically) befuddled when Barker said that there is no separation between feminism and state. After Barker proceeded to school Carlson on the establishment clause, Carlson continued to whine about religious freedom and accused Barker of being a “zealot” who has “wreck[ed] this little kids club" because "the Bible being read to kids bugs you." Carlson opined that this is"weird."

If Carlson had, as he claimed at the end of the discussion, read FFRF’s letter to the school, he would have seen the Supreme Court history on issues like this. But who needs facts when insulting people is more fun? Remind me who is the real agenda-driven bully, here?

Check out Carlson’s attack on the First Amendment from the May 25, 2017 Tucker Carlson Tonight.

THEDARKAGES OF THEMODERNMEDIA
I wonder how much the Christian-First/American-Second narrative is just another way of playing let’s-pretend for the benefit of these less than honorable corporations which place profits way too high over what is true, what is good for the nation, what is good for all, and not just what is good for some. This is why some rules of broadcasting are needed (and should not have been unscrupulously removed: Powell Memo, anyone? anyone?), because survivor ship bias will have bad people with bad ideas rise to the top at the detriment and cost of everyone else. People will do bad things if given the incentive, and the media surely have the incentive without enough accountability for the truth and what is beneficial for all.